


My Only Sunshine

by PastelPrinceling



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Blood, Human?Ray, Immortal!Joel, Jersey Devil!Michael, M/M, Minor Character Death, Organs, Prince does Halloween, Satyr!Geoff, Shared Dream, Siren!Gavin, Vampire!Burnie, Werelion!Jack, vampire!Ryan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-28
Updated: 2015-01-12
Packaged: 2018-02-23 00:54:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2528012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PastelPrinceling/pseuds/PastelPrinceling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You make me happy when skies are grey, you'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Lily of the Valley

**Author's Note:**

> Ratings and tags subject to change as the fic progresses.

Fine, brunette hair. Bright blue eyes. The flash of fangs behind soft lips. Hands slipping over his neck and shoulders, fingers carding through his hair. A kiss to his pulse. A shiver down his spine. The lace of pain woke him from his sleep, startling awake with a gasp.  
  
Sweat beading on his brow, Ray propped himself up on his elbow a little to look around the room. He’d never turned the AC on last night, damn him. Pulling the covers away, he hisses as the thick blankets brushed his dick, stiff as a board. He adjusted himself and the press of his hand only made it worse. He remembered the dream he’d had, the flash of fangs and the face of one of his coworkers. He cursed under his breath.    
  
A guilty wank and a shower later, he was on his way to work, trying not to think about the fact he’d had a wet dream about Ryan. Trying not to think about the fact it wasn’t the first time.   
  
Walking into work today was the same as every other day. He waved and nodded and smiled to a few people he passed before ending up in the Achievement Hunter office, their base of operations. Michael was already here, and so was Geoff by the look of the opened can of Red Bull on his desk.   
  
“Morning Ray, sleep well?” The Jersey Devil asked, kicked back in his chair with music playing from the headphones around his neck.   
  
“Eh, well enough. You?”   
  
A little laugh, “Always sleep like a baby after a good scare.”   
  
“You went out last night?” Ray asked, plopping down in his own chair.   
  
“Yeah man, Gav and I found a lake party. He lured them in and I scared the piss out of them. Was beautiful, you should have seen their faces,” Michael was laughing, smiling about his successful spook.   
  
“Anybody from around here?”   
  
“Nah, everyone here knows the sound of Birdzilla, we would have been caught before we had a chance to spring the trap.”   
  
“Fair enough.”   
  
“What did you do last night?” Michael asked, sitting up and turning off his music. Better for chatting and he had to get working on editing soon anyway.   
  
“Watched the Steelers tank. Had burritos. Streamed some COD. Normal Sunday night, you know?”   
  
“Fair enough,” Michael echoed with a grin, letting it linger for a second before he got to work.   
  
Ray took the hint as well, setting up to get started on something too. He had an achivement guide to do today, at least. They were recording a LP later, but it seemed like it was going to be a chill enough Monday.   
  
The hair on the back of Ray’s neck stood on end when Ryan passed, and out of the corner of his eye he could see Michael tense next to him. Ryan was warm and pleasant with his morning greeting though, “Hey guys, sleep well?”   
  
He was already settling into his own seat with a bottle in hand when Ray turned to look over his shoulder, “Yeah, you?”   
  
A smile that showed off his fangs, sharp and long, menacing and enticing, “Yeah!”   
  
It was a simple enough exchange, but it left Ray’s heart slamming against his ribs, something he hoped Ryan couldn’t hear. It was a flutter of bird wings and butterflies.   
  
Ryan the Vampire Guy always came with a cloak of mild unease for the company. It was something that happened with a lot of undead. In a world of unnaturals, they were even more so, defying life and death. It wasn’t a prejudice, but rather an instinctual predator/prey drive that made people keep their heads down in most cases. Ryan tried not to let it get to him, he understood why it was.   
  
At his desk though, Ryan could hear what Ray feared he could. He tried to ignore it, but listening to his heart work, hear the blood pulsing through his veins- He took a drink from the bottle on his desk, feeling the thickness of the blood, still warm thanks to it’s container, the taste of copper flooding his mouth, making him forget the man a few seats down. He got to work before it could creep back up on him.   
  


o0o

  
  
Ray was elbow deep in a Subway sandwich when Ryan came back with another bottle of blood. Ray spoke up over his lunch to ask, “How can you even drink that stuff, man?”  
  
  
Ryan glanced down at the bottle in hand as he passed, looking over Ray’s food, something that turned his stomach. He raised an eyebrow, gesturing to hit, “Well, how do you eat that?”  
  
  
“Easy, watch.” Ray picked up the sandwich and took a big bite, getting some kind of sauce on his face. Ryan scrunched his face up, his stomach roiling.  
  
  


He gestured to him with his bottle, “In the same vein,” he tilted the bottle up to take a drink, licking his lips after, “Easy.”   
  
The Lad scrunched his face up this time, “But don’t you need like, solid stuff? Protein, calcium, uh, that shit that’s in bananas?”   
  
“Potassium?”   
  
“Yeah, that!” Ray pointed to him with a smile.   
  
“I’m undead, Ray. What makes you think I run on the same stuff living people do? You need that stuff to live, but I’m already dead.” He smiled, shaking his head. “And I eat solid stuff sometimes. I just have to get it from donors and it’s hard to heat up sometimes.”   
  
“Like- you mean like cooking hamburgers?” Ray looked just a little uneasy, but interested in what Ryan had to say.   
  
The man smiled, flashing fangs and patted his shoulder, walking away with a laugh and a glint in his eye. In the pit of Ray’s stomach, he knew he hadn’t meant animals.  
  


o0o

  


In a chorus of cheers, Michael won Go!, and ultimately, it had been the last win to get him a pizza party! He made a victory lap around the room before they all packed up to go out to lunch at the pizza place on the corner. They had left immediately after the cameras stopped rolling and the videos were all saved, the video had cut into their lunch break anyway, what better time than now?   
  
It was a quaint little place, smelling like sticky soda and fresh pizza baked in a brick oven. It was some of the best around this part of Austin and they all loved it. Sadly they didn’t deliver, so it was rare they all got together to eat out, but it was so worth it when they did. Just them, the golden six, as the fans had coined them.   
  
They’d gotten a big table they could all sit around in the back, settling in with some drinks and some breadsticks while their pizzas were made. A plain pepperoni, something with just veggies, and a fancy chicken pesto something or other. Ryan had unfortunately opted out, but only because he had to. He would have loved to dine with them, but it had been years and years since he’d last had real food. He knew better than to indulge.   
  
Team Nice Dynamite had a wild hair up their collective ass though, snickering between themselves, the little twitch of the claws at the top of Michael’s wings said it all. They were planning a prank. Of course they were. Ray was excited to see this pan out, but stayed behind his phone, though he wasn’t barely paying attention. He couldn’t wait to see what was going to go down.   
  
Jack and Geoff had gone to try their hand at the crane game, the satyr perching to cheer the werelion on as Jack inched the claw along. Ryan had slunk off to the bathroom.   
  
Gavin and Michael glanced around themselves before they made their move. They were still giggling like small children, and Ray watched to make sure Geoff and Jack didn’t look and spoil the boy’s fun, or Ryan didn’t come back from the bathroom too early. It was successful though, the boys had swapped the blood in Ryan’s bottle out for a cup of soda Gavin had. They shook the bottle flat and let off the excess carbonation before setting it back. They hid the cup of blood between them on the floor, trying to be careful they didn’t kick it over.   
  
Geoff and Jack came back, Jack with a prize and Geoff with a sour look on his face, grumbling all the while. He could be such a sore loser. They settled back in, none the wiser. The boys kept up their snickering and Geoff ended up kicking them both in the shin with a hard hoof before Ryan came back.  
  


The pizza wasn’t long after and the boys watched Ryan like a hawk, ignoring the pizza, which made Jack cough a laugh, “Boys! Earth to idiots!” He waved a hand in front of their faces and they both turned to look at him with a smile.   
  
“You guys gonna eat before it gets cold?” Jack asked, looking pointedly at the three pizzas shared between them and where three of them had already dug in.   
  
With laughter they dug in too, shaking suspicion off. They were all talking about an upcoming concert in one of the theatre halls uptown, and Ray’s eyes idly traced over Ryan now and then. He had no interest in theatres and concerts and copious amounts of people, so he’d tuned most of it out.   
  
The vampire was sitting with his arm on the back of his chair, one ankle over his knee, listening to the others chat, commenting now and then with his opinion and what he knew about the happenings, but mostly he was quiet, just enjoying their company over lunch. His fingers brushed lazily through his hair, like silk through his fingers.   
  
Eventually though he picked up his bottle, holding it to his lips. The boys paused mid bite to watch and he brought it down to comment on something else before he tilted his head back and took a big swig. It came away from his mouth quickly and his face was nothing but disgust and horror. He looked even paler than normal.   
  
Gavin and Michael busted up laughing, high fiving with pizza in their other hands, mission accomplished. Michael was the first to crack, “I can’t believe you couldn’t smell the difference, Ryan! Oh god man, I wish you could see your face!”   
  
Ryan stared at the bottle, and then at them before his lip pulled back in a snarl, baring fangs and hissing at them. He stood, though he wobbled a little before he slammed the bottle back down on the table hard enough to crack it, spilling soda out across the table. Geoff and Jack were quick to slap napkins on it to try to mop it up before it ruined lunch.   
  
“I cannot fucking BELIEVE you two!” He yelled, drawing the attention of the rest of the restaurant.   
  
“What is your problem Ryan, it’s just a harmless joke!” Gavin squawked, trying and failing to puff up and be menacing.   
  
“Harmless?” Ryan asked, looking a little green as he staggered a step. He was already breaking out in a thin layer of sweat, “You two are- are monsters.” He spat the word like venom, “Don’t eve- don’t ever do it again!” He drew a ragged breath, steadying himself on the end of the table, his knees felt weak.   
  
Ryan swallowed hard before he left the restaurant in a rush without saying another word. Ray stood up to follow him out, to make sure the dude was alright. He sure didn’t look it. Upon making it to the sidewalk outside the parlor, Ryan was nowhere to be seen.   
  
When he came back inside, it was to Geoff snarling at the other two Lads, “You could have killed him, you know that? Don’t they teach you anything in school anymore? Jesus Christ, you two are fucking stupid.”   
  
Jack sighed, throwing the napkins in a bin a waitress had brought over, “Vampires can’t ingest normal food, it makes them sick.” He was calmer about it, but the way his mane puffed up, he was just as angry as Geoff was, “They can’t digest anything but blood anymore, so it just rots in their stomachs and makes them really sick.”   
  
“Why’d he get so sick so soon, then? That shit hadn’t started digesting yet!” Michael fumbled for some kind of excuse or loophole, his wings tucked tight against his body.   
  
“After you’ve been around as long as Ryan has, your body knows the difference and tries to get rid of it before it makes him really sick. IE: vomit his damn guts out. He probably found an alley and purged himself of three meals and you idiot’s prank!” Geoff snapped, tilting his head down a fraction now and then, impulse to whack them around with his horns. He didn’t though, but man did he want to.   
  
Geoff and Jack chided the morons for a while after, packing up most of the lunch they’d ruined with their stunt, what could be salvaged anyway, but Ray had tuned most of it out. He was worried about Ryan. He hoped he was alright.   
  


o0o

  
  
Ryan wasn’t at work the next day.  
  
  
Ray was in his chair, squirming and sick, worried about the vampire. When Geoff came in, Ray bombarded him with questions, spun out of his chair and on his feet in front of his boss, “Is Ryan alright? Did you text him? Do you know if he’s okay after lunch yesterday?”  
  
  
“Ey, easy, easy. Deep breath before you give yourself a hernia. Ryan’s alright. I told him to take the day off to rest up, what happened was more scary than it was damaging. But that shit could really kill him if he’s not careful. He’s chilling at home with a warm bottle and some movies or whatever the guy does in his spare time. Read quantum physics books, I don’t know. But he’s alright.”

It didn’t do a lot to help ease Ray’s worry. A little, but not much.   
  


o0o

  
  
The bags were sold warm, and they felt so weird in the brown paper bag pressed to his chest. He knocked on Ryan’s door, his house was pretty normal honestly, and he was glad the man’s car was in the driveway. It would have sucked if he’d gone out or something.  
  
  
Ryan opened the door for Ray, blinking a few times, “Uh hey. Do you… need something?” He asked, clearly confused.  
  
  
“Can I uh, you know, come in? The welcome mat _does_ say Welcome, so?” Ray scuffed the mat with his foot a little.  


A little chuckle before he stepped back into the house, letting Ray in and shutting the door behind him, “What brings you to this side of town? With…?” He looked pointedly at the bag in Ray’s arms.  
  
He set the bag down on the counter, “Oh I got something for you. I know what the boys did yesterday was shitting, and I’m sorry. I didn’t say anything, but I didn’t know it wasn’t a good thing. I thought it was just a harmless prank too. So I, thought I’d bring you something to try to make up for it? I guess? You know, the ol’ olive branch, peace offering?”  
  
Ryan shook his head with a sigh, “They really _don't_ teach you guys anything in school anymore.”  
  


Brow knit tight, his lips pursing. He wondered if he should just leave, if he was even welcome in Ryan’s home. Ray’s stomach roiled and a hand settled on his shoulder, “Calm down, you’re fine. I appreciate the concern, seriously. What did a clever guy like you bring to try to quell the savage beast?” He smiled, warm and reassuring. It put Ray at ease quick and easy.   
  
He turned back to the bag, pulling out eight bags of namebrand blood, marketed for vampires. Two of each bloodtype. Ray shifted before laying them out, “I didn’t know what type you prefered, I never see you with the package, only the bottle, which makes sense because these fuckers are impractical as hell. So I uh, got two of each kind.” He’d spend the last of his paycheck on them, but he’d already payed his bills, so it wasn’t a big deal.   
  
Ryan traced his hand over a few of them, voice soft and low, “They’re still warm.”   
  
Ray chuckled, “Yeah, I got them and came right over. Jack said you probably chundered all over the place to get the soda out of your stomach and probably lost some of the meals you’d eaten, so I thought I’d, you know, try to replace some of it?”  
  


“Chundered is such an awful word.” Ryan laughed, cringing at the sound of it from his own mouth.   
  
“What? You want me to say vomited? Puked? Upchucked? Tossed your cookies? Hurl?” Ray snickered, “I can go on!”   
  
Ryan put a hand up, “No, no. Oh god, stop.” He was laughing too, a hand over his mouth. He shook his head, “Goddamn.”   
  
Ray’s shoulders slumped and he smiled. It came easy around the vampire, even if being around him sometimes made him want to hide and hope he was never found. But when he was relaxed and laughing like this, it made Ray’s heart flutter.   
  


It was something Ryan had always noticed though, and listening to the quickened heartbeat, the little flutter of bird wings in a cage, it made his own underused blood pusher give a little kick. He didn’t know if it was fear, or embarrassment, or attraction that had Ray’s little heart beating so, but he knew he liked it. He liked the sound of his heart and his pulse. Sometimes people were attracted to voices and colors of eyes, but Ryan liked to hear the sounds of his friends’ blood coursing through them. Granted, it wasn’t an oddity among vampires, but it was something he’d never mentioned for fear of being ridiculed by the others for it.   
  
“So is it alright? You got a favorite so I know for next time?” Ray was trying to distract himself from the heart in his throat.   
  
Ryan smiled, nodding slowly, “I appreciate it a lot, Ray. Thanks. I’m partial to AB myself, actually.”   
  
“Duly noted, man!” Ray’s heart had calmed, thankfully. An awkward silence hung in the air between them after that. He wanted to say something, anything to break the silence, but he couldn’t bring himself to. He didn’t know what to say.   
  
Eventually the vampire spoke up, voice quiet, making Ray strain a bit, lean in a hair to listen, “What blood type are you, Ray?”   
  
Brown eyes wandered up to look at him, at those striking blue eyes. He swallowed hard and creaked out, “No clue.”  
  


Leaning in a little farther, Ryan whispered, “Shame.” He wanted to kiss him, to hold his chin and tilt his head up and kiss his breath away, steal his warmth and his life. He wanted to feed from him and see if he tasted as good as Ryan hoped. He didn’t though. He hadn’t drunk from a source in a long time, and he wasn’t about to start with a coworker who hadn’t consented to it. That’d just make him primo asshole.   
  
He pulled back after he realized he’d leaned in enough to be able to feel Ray’s breath on his skin. He cleared his throat, rounding the island where the bloodbags were set, scooping them up and setting them on the other counter. Ryan dug a bottle of soda out of his fridge and handed it over for Ray, going about pouring a bag of the AB into his bottle, a normal looking water bottle in an attempt not to turn people’s stomachs.   
  
“Woah, you’ve got soda in there? I thought you couldn’t drink this stuff?” Ray asked, opening the bottle to take a drink.   
  
Ryan huffed a laugh, “I can’t. But I do occasionally have guests who do, so it’s just my attempt to be a decent host.” He leaned over the island and tapped his bottle against Ray’s before taking a drink. His breath quivered with a content sigh, “That’s good.”   
  
Ray smiled, glad he’d been able to help after the fiasco at the pizza place.   
  
The two hung out for a time, playing video games and Ryan ordered pizza at some point, his way of making up for ruining Ray’s lunch too. Ray went home with a smile and leftover pizza. Ryan stayed in with a smile and a gift of blood.  
  


It was a good night.


	2. Cardinal Flower

Ryan was never above taking his sweet ol’ time with things. In the time he’d been alive, he’d learned patience pretty well. He liked to take things slowly, to work them out smoothly, and not rush into things he might regret. There wasn’t a lot he regretted, but he attributed it all to his careful, measured nature.   
  
Courting Ray, even if the kid didn’t know that’s what he was doing, was going to take as long as was needed, even if it was unsuccessful. It was easy enough to say you were led on by words or actions, but it was hard to say you’d been led on by the way someone’s heart lurched for you, and how you could hear just that. He had no second thoughts about this.   
  
Well, mostly.   
  
It hadn’t been said outright in words, and regardless of what Ray’s body said consciously or unconsciously, it was his words that mattered at the end of the day. He wasn’t about to push him into anything. He cared about the human. He wanted to make sure he was safe. He wanted to look after him, to make sure nothing could ever hurt him.   
  
It was hard being a vampire, courting a human, because everything ended up sounding like something out of a garbage teen novel and it made him cringe. There were times, a lot of times, that Ryan wished humans hadn’t taken some sick fetish with his kind, but it was what it was, and it couldn’t very well be changed now. He was just going to have to live with Edward being the poster child for vampire with his diamond studded skin and his brooding ways, where Ryan was happy-go-lucky and took supplements to keep the sun’s rays from baking him.   
  
“Who put holy water in your bottle this morning?” Geoff’s voice cut through his thoughts, bringing him back to reality.   
  
Ryan glanced up at him, blinking a few times to find his bearings, “What?”   
  
“You look all hollowed out and gone. Pchoooo, off into outer space.”   
  


Shaking his head, Ryan shook it off, “It’s nothing, I just uh, didn’t sleep well last night, you know? Happens when you’re naturally nocturnal.” He poked fun at himself sometimes, but truth be told, he’d been sleeping diurnally more years than he’d ever attempted nocturnally. Too many of his responsibilities and friends were daywalkers, so he had conformed to be as well so he could be productive and social.   
  


“Got cracks in the coffin?” Geoff asked, patting his shoulder like he understood the feeling. As a satyr, Ryan was confident Geoff had no clue. Maybe he’d dated a vampire at some point, who knew?   
  
“No, I legitimately just didn’t sleep well.”   
  
Geoff blinked, pursing his lips before he took a drink from his own flask, rubbing at his chin to think, “Oh! Jack brought in some liver chunks this morning. Those might perk your ass up. He said they were for Barbara since she’d never had them before, but I’m sure a pretty wendigo like her’s had her fair share of liver in her day, you know what I mean?”   
  


Ryan spied the snack on Jack’s desk, “You think it’s just that she’s never had that brand?”   
  
Plucking the bag from the desk he set it down on Ryan’s desk before he rounded to plop down in his own chair, “Yeah, no sweat. I’ll get her another one at lunch. No big. Chow down, pig out. You’ve got a Hunt to film later!” Geoff’s laughter filled the room until it tapered, their boss getting to his own scheduling, paperwork and notebooks spread out across his desk, screen displaying a few layered spreadsheets.   
  


The Lads had taken off on a Team Lads Action News adventure, and Jack was in on one of his once in a blue moon podcasts. Looking over the package it was what it was labeled to be, 100% human liver chunks. His mouth watered thinking about it but he set them aside for now, working on some back editing for now.   
  
When he did eventually break into the package they were still soft, moist and tender. Ryan smiled so wide, fishing a piece out, popping it in his mouth. It melted perfectly, and in his bliss he dribbled blood down his chin. He mopped it up quickly, wiping his hand off on a napkin before he went back for more.   
  
Barbara would have been a lucky girl to get a treat like this.   
  
He’d absentmindedly made it through half the bag before the Lads came back. Michael and Gavin tackled Geoff, much to his distress. Gavin cast him a look sideways with a smile, but it fell when he saw his face and the blood. Ryan thankfully didn’t catch it.   
  
Ray sat his ass on the edge of Ryan’s desk, “Successful news docume- Shit dude!” He gasped, standing up and taking a step back from the desk.   
  
Taken by surprise by his outburst, the vampire looked up, licking over his lips and fangs, “What?”   
  
“You’re- jesus, what are you eating?” Ray eyed him, pupils pinpricks as he watched him.   
  
Ryan’s brow pressed tight and he looked the package over, absently licking the blood from his fingers, like someone licking cheese dust up. He turned the bag over to show him, “Liver?”   
  
“L-like-like people liver?”   
  
“Yeah? Didn’t we already go over the fact I can’t ingest anything that isn’t human byproduct?”   
  
“Cum guzzleeeer,” Michael whooped, getting an elbow to the gut from Geoff, knocking the wind out of him.   
  
“You stay out of it,” the satyr snapped, “Don’t you two have work to do?”   
  
“But that’s like- that’s literally people. That’s people like me and probably other people too.” Ray looked like he might be sick.    
  
Ryan wiped his hands off with a napkin, making sure his mouth was clear before he answered him, “I don’t really see where the panic is coming from Ray, this is what I eat. Just like you eat pizza and cheeseburgers and drink soda, I drink blood and sometimes snack on livers.”   
  
Ray could only stare, watching the vampire with a wary eye. Eventually he asked, “But don’t you have like, morals and shit?”   
  


“Of course I have morals Ray, what kind of a question is that?”   
  
“You’re eating some dude’s liver, Ryan!”   
  
“And you eat cows? I don’t-” Ryan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, “I think I see what you’re not getting here. I apologize. Something you’re going to have to remember Ray, is that I’m not human. I don’t hold the same ethics and standards and morals and customs that you do. Just like you don’t hold the same as say, someone who lives in remote Siberia. Very different people, very different lives. This right here, this is normal for me, and that’s fine. What you do is normal for you. This isn’t about my morals. This is about me eating and surviving. This is what I eat and survive on.   
  
“Would you be appalled by someone who has to drink soy products because they’re lactose intolerant, or ate differently because of a gluten allergy?” He continued.   
  
Ray wouldn’t make eye contact with him. His eyes flicked up once or twice, but he kept looking away. Eventually he worked up the nerve to huff out, “No.”   
  
“Then this is also something you need to understand about me. I can’t eat what you do, not that I don’t choose to because man would I kill for a cheeseburger with swiss and mushrooms and spinach,” Ryan hummed at the thought, “But I can’t, or I’ll get sick. All the food I eat is donated and given freely. I would never take from someone who hadn’t given me explicit permission.”   
  
He tapped the package, a little symbol in the corner, “That there means that these came from someone who died and had it on their drivers license or in their paperwork somewhere that they could be put to a good use after their death. A bit like organ donors, but more.”   
  
Ryan paused to watch the Lad standing in front of him. He glanced around at the others, absorbed in their own work. His eyes scanned the floor before he added, “Sorry to bore you with all that, I just…” He shook his head, turning back to his computer. His appetite was gone. He made a mental note to go wash his hands in a minute, there was dried blood under his nails.   
  
Ray clearing his throat made him look back up at him standing behind him, “You’re fine. Thanks for letting me know all that shit. I uh, I get it better now. Not something you can help and as long as you’re not some organphile or something, we’re cool.”   
  
Ryan looked down at the package, then back up at Ray, “If you’d rather I didn’t eat in the office, I can do that. I know… even with my limitations on what I can and can’t eat, it’s not really fair of me to be eating organs around people who still, you know, value theirs.”   
  
Geoff couldn’t help but chime in, “Who needs livers, anyway?”   
  
They both scoffed a laugh, Ryan shaking his head. Ray took a deep breath, taking his hands out of his pockets where he’d shoved them when the vampire had scolded him for being a major grade douchenozzle, gesturing to him, “You can do whatever you want with that stuff. Your lunch, man. Just, sorry if I’m squeamish. Like you said, I still value mine.” He patted his side, in a place that definitely wasn’t even close to where his liver was.   
  
It made Ryan smile fondly.   
  


o0o

  
  


A shirt with buttons, slowly undone, one at a time. The cotton sliding across tan skin, falling over shoulders, pulling away from the body. Exposing the line of his neck, the subtle thump of his pulse, calm and steady. His own hands brush through his dark hair and down his throat, nails dragging gently, only enough to leave thin lines of white in their wake for a few moments.   
  
Soft lips whisper something that goes unheard in the daydream, simply the inflection of his voice to swirl around in Ryan’s head like a riptide. His own mouth kisses over the tan flesh, over the pulse, feeling it thump against his lips makes his dick stir. He slides hands up that chest, over those nice pecs. One hand on his ribs, clasping over his heart, the other sliding up his throat to cup his cheek, still pressing kisses to the back of his neck, down the curve of his shoulder. Ryan presses his own chest to his back, feeling his warmth, and a half hard dick settles against the curve of his ass. He-   
  
“Ryan! You killed me!” Jack squawked next to him.   
  
“What? Oh my god, I’m sorry!” Ryan snapped out of his haze, quick to assess the situation and scramble for an apology.   
  
“What was that for?”   
  
“You scared me!”   
  
“I’ve been standing here the whole time!”   
  
“I turned and there you were suddenly and I just shot-”   
  
They were both laughing, Ryan more than Jack. What a silly mistake he’d made. No more wandering thoughts, Ryan, you’re on camera. Get with the program here. Jack respawned and blew the top half of Ryan’s avatar’s skull off.   
  
“What was THAT for?”   
  
“You scared me!” Jack’s tone was mocking and sarcastic.   
  
“Come on guys, we’re down enough points for you assholes to be setting us back farther!” Geoff intervened.   
  
“Good work Lads, we’re swamping ass!” Michael chimed, cheering his boys on.   
  
Ryan tried not to let his thoughts wander too far after that. The Gents made a miraculous come back and won the game. He wondered in the back of his mind if it was because someone else was distracted, caught up in their own thoughts. Something in him hoped so.   
  


o0o

  
  


It was X-Ray and Vav that had lunch together later that day. The siren had brought him in food while he was working on an Achievement Guide while the others were off doing various other things. Gavin had plopped down in Michael’s chair to wheel it over, setting a bag of burgers on the desk between them and two drinks with a big smile.   
  
“You shouldn’t have,” Ray smirked, pulling his headphones down, “It’s not my birthday, what’s the occasion?”   
  
“Doesn’t have to be an occasion you git, wanted to have lunch with the X-Ray-meister.”   
  
“Please don’t ever call me that again.”   
  
Gavin could only squeak laughter, smiling for him, “Seriously man, everyone else is busy, thought you might be hungry, grabbed lunch. Not rocket science!”   
  
“This is about the game earlier, isn’t it?” Ray asked, fishing out a burger.   
  
A moment of silence, the siren contemplating fessing up. Then, “Yeah, what even was up with you man? We were cleaning house and then you suddenly tanked.”   
  


Ray shrugged his shoulders, unwrapped the burger, cheese melting and meat hot. This was the good stuff. He licked his lips, eager to dig in.   
  
“Shrug isn’t an answer, you bombed.”   
  
“Is it really that big’a deal, Gavin? We lost a game against fellow co workers. We do it all the time. The Lads don’t always win, neither do the Gents. Why is it suddenly my fault that we tanked in the last ten minutes?” Ray retorted, turning to glare at him, lowering his lunch to snap back at him.   
  
“I wasn’t the one off in La La Land, daydreaming away. Don’t think the crew doesn’t know that look in your eye. You were on Jupiter, a real space cadet!” Raising an eyebrow, there was a bit more malice in his voice than there probably should have been, “What were you daydreaming about, Ray?”   
  
“Why’s it matter, Gav? Why do you care what I was thinking about? Does it matter?” Ray shook his head, setting his food down for now.   
  
“Yeah!”   
  
“No it doesn’t, get off your high horse man and quit drilling me. This isn’t 20 questions.” Ray turned back to his food, trying to pick it back up to go back to eating. He didn’t know what kind of wild hair was up Gavin’s ass suddenly, and he didn’t think he wanted to know, especially with how pissy he was over something so small. They were performers, they’d lost a game. They lost games all the time to the Gents. They won them all the time too. It wasn’t reason to have a cow.   
  
Gavin stood up, grabbing up his drink, and left the office. Ray looked down at his burger and the bag with the rest of their shared lunch and felt sick to his stomach, appetite gone. He wrapped his lunch back up and set it all aside. He didn’t know what Gavin’s issue was, be hoped the dude worked the kink out of his dick at some point. Ray jammed his eyes shut in an attempt not to slip back into the memories of his daydreaming, it having been brought back up.   
  


It didn’t help as much as he hoped but he adjusted himself in his shorts before going back to work. The editing was enough to distract him from his stray thoughts.   
  


o0o

  
  


“Ey, Ray? Can I get you to help me unpack some stuff?”   
  
Ray turned from his computer, pulling his headphones down off his ears again, looking out in the direction of the voice. Kerry was standing, leaning into the door casing. The jackalope smiled for him, colorful rings and bands and ribbons tied around his horns. It was probably Arryn’s doing. She had a knack for doing silly shit like that. He never minded. He waved a hand, “It’s just a few boxes, c’mon.”   
  
It was a few boxes thankfully, and a few more, and a few more after that.   
  
“Kerry, I think we need to work on your definitions of amounts of things, man. This isn’t a few.”   
  
“Okay, so I might have misjudged a smidge,” He handed a boxcutter over to the human, looking pitiful and apologetic.   
  
Ray rolled his eyes, shaking his head, but he took the boxcutter from Kerry’s hand, turning it over in his hand a few times before he got to work, crouching over a little stack of boxes to start slitting the tape to pry them open. Kerry smiled, taking another to get to work on another stack of boxes.   
  
Ray wasn’t focused on snooping through the boxes. He didn’t pay attention to the shipping address or anything past getting them open. Most of them had at least a layer of packing peanuts, but that didn’t stick in his mind before he set the box to the side.   
  
A whoop from off to the right somewhere came before Ashley and Ryan came down the hall from the Patch set, the both of them with smiles on their faces. The undine’s hair looked wet and shiny, though that wasn’t uncommon by any stretch of the imagination. It made Ray pay more attention to her though.   
  
Her voice was like silk in a way Gavin’s wasn’t normally. It sounded wet though, like the rest of her, “Hey guys, what’s up? What’s with all the boxes?”   
  
Kerry popped up, standing high on his digitigrade feet, “It’s the shipment we’ve been waiting like all week for!”   
  
“Oh shit, really?” Ashley dove in to look through a few of the boxes, pulling out packages of garland and ornaments, “Oh man, they’re early, but this is pretty great. Is anything damaged?”   
  
Ryan looked on with interest, smiling to see all the fun Christmas decorations. He hadn’t heard word of what they were all going towards, whether it was a project or a building wide decoration, but either way, it was always exciting. Christmas was one of his favorite holidays. Despite the chill, it was always warm and it was so close to the end of the year, and putting the bad behind and embracing the good before beginning again. It was nice.   
  
A small hum, the jackalope looking through another box, “It doesn’t look at it, but I’m gonna be counting up everything we unpack to make sure we have everything and take stock of damages.”   
  
Ashley stood up, brushing Kerry’s hair between his antlers, letting her hand stroke down one of his ears. He smiled up at her, going back to his work. She turned to Ray and pet over his hair as well. The human looked up at her for a moment, smiling a dopey grin before he pulled the knife across the tape, catching his thumb in the process. Ashley gasped before Ray did, and when he noticed the blood he dropped the knife, holding his hand.   
  
With pupils mere pinpricks in his eyes, Ryan stared. He couldn’t draw his eyes away from the streaks of red dripping down Ray’s hand, down his wrist, the way the blood shined, the way it stained and smeared. Ashley fussed and he barely moved in time to step out of the way as she darted off to go grab a first aid kit, calling over her shoulder something about stitches.   
  
Kerry held Ray’s hand instead, paper towels clamped tight over his thumb to try to stop the bleed. It would be better if they could get it to stop bleeding. In a haze and a fog, Ryan thought he heard something about Kerry hoping he wouldn’t need stitches, like Ashley said.   
  
The papers were absorbing the blood, soaking through them. Hands and heads always bled quite a bit. It probably wasn’t as bad as it looked.   
  
A hand with just a little quiver to it, nails cut cleanly, reached out to pull Ray’s hand from between Kerry’s. Ryan shifted the cloth away before he looked it over, gauging the length of the wound before he clamped the paper towels over it again. He looked Ray dead in the face, “Do you trust me?”   
  
Ray looked pale but watched Ryan’s eyes, his own shoulders shaking a little, his little heart like a trapped animal, panicked and afraid in his chest. He looked from the wound and the blood to Ryan and back again a few times, quick flicks of the eye, his breathes fluttered quickly in his growing panic.   
  
“Y-yes, yeah I trust you.”   
  
Ryan moved the paper towel away, now that he had permission. He wouldn’t ever do something like this if he hadn’t had explicit permission from him. Ryan licked a stripe along Ray’s thumb. There was a small gasp at the sensation of his tongue suddenly, not something Ray was expecting. He pulled the finger into his mouth to lick over it, saliva sinking into the wound. It left a tingling, like pins and needles or the static of old televisions. Ryan’s eyes fell shut as his senses overloaded, exploding and then fizzling out into nothing.   
  
The taste of it all hit him all at once like a ton of bricks, or a truck slamming into him. It was sweet, and tasted like Ray. He wasn’t sure what the human tasted like until now, but he knew this was him. It was him, his essence, his life. It was positively captivating, delicious and perfect. It took an ounce of strength not to sink a fang into his thumb, fighting with himself not to draw out more of that sweet nectar, but Ryan was good, only moving with intent to help.   
  
Thick and coppery on his tongue, he licked clean the blood staining his skin around the wound, and licked over the wound itself, letting his saliva encourage quick healing.   
  
He let him have his hand back after a moment and Ray stared in shock at the vampire before him, cradling his hand close, wiping the last of the spit off his hand with the paper towel. Brown eyes glanced down at it, then back up before he’d properly been able to take in what had happened. He looked again, to see nothing but a thin scar, a smooth line of lighter skin. Ray blinked a few times before he looked back up, but was at a loss for words.   
  
Ryan smiled, licking over his lips, trying not to show how much he’d enjoyed the taste of his prey- his friend. He swallowed hard, squashing down urges and instinct, ignoring the primal side of him that had tasted blood and skin before he smiled, a sheepish little grin.   
  
“Sorry I drooled all over you but, you know, it’s all good, right?”   
  
Ray looked it over, tracing down the line before he smiled up at him, “Yeah. Yeah it’s hella alright, look at this beauty! You just licked it and it healed. Why don’t they market your slobber?”   
  
The vampire coughed a laugh as Kerry leaned in to inspect too, watching with wide eyes, “They do. Vampire saliva helped healing agents immensely when they found a way to separate the compounds that encourage regrowth. It doesn’t work as well as the source, but it does help.”   
  
Still holding his once injured hand in the other hand, Ray smiled, and the brightness of it, the sincerity made Ryan’s own heart swell and ache. The human chirped, “Thank you, Rye. Seriously man, I was freaking out for a second there. And it’s fine now. I can’t believe it. Thanks.”   
  
That was definitely an ache in his chest and something dark swimming behind his eyes. Ryan smiled back, just as warm and as bright as Ray’s, “No problem.”   
  


o0o

  
  


After Ray had gone back to helping Kerry, and Ashley had come back to fuss and make sure no one cut themselves again, Ryan had ducked out the back. He’d wandered, walking in a haze, aimless. He found himself standing in the middle of the podcast stage of all places. He rubbed his eyes, his muscles tense. He was shaking, hands and knees. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end and he snapped his head up to see Burnie step up onto the stage, watching the vampire.   
  
“What’s up Ryan?” He asked, curious but wary.   
  
Ryan opened his mouth to answer but cut himself off, taking a breath before starting again, “I-It’s nothing. I’m fine.”   
  
Burnie’s eyes scanned over him, up and down a few times over before he raised an eyebrow.   
  
“Who did you get a taste of, Rye?”   
  
He stayed silent.   
  
“I can see the ring, Ryan. I’m not stupid. I’m also not mad, just wondering. Who’d you taste?”   
  
Ryan was still quiet, staring at his boss, jaw set and teeth clenched tight. Eventually he croaked, “Ray cut himself with a boxcutter on accident. I licked the wound closed for him.”

Burnie smiled, “See, that wasn’t hard. I don’t know why you’re so uptight.” He clasped him on the shoulder, shaking a little, trying to snap the vampire out of his funk.   
  
He pushed his hand off his shoulder a little, “I… haven’t had from a source in- shit- at least ten years.” His stomach fluttered and he shivered.   
  
Eyebrows pressed tight and Burnie leaned in a little, swiping a thumb over Ryan’s lips. He pulled back at the touch, watching his boss carefully. There was a ring of bright red around his pupil, a telltale sign he was a vampire who’d just fed from a living person. Burnie’s eyes looking him over like he was studying him, or like he was a peculiar object were full blown red, a deep color flecked with darker shades.   
  
Ryan had known he was going to be working alongside an older vampire when he’d come into the company, though he hadn’t known at the time that it was someone who prefered vessels rather than the blood bags marketed for them. It was his preference, but it was harder to fight the bloodlust when constantly drinking from a living body.   
  
Burnie patted his back hard enough to make him jolt, “Well then! Welcome back to the good life!”   
  
Pushing his arm off his shoulder, Ryan turned around, trying not to bare fangs to someone with as many years on him as Burnie did, but he snapped back, “I don’t want that! I was fine before. I did it because he was hurt.”   
  
“I don’t know how you don’t want it, it’s natural,” Burnie purred, lost in the pleasant thought of flesh yielding under his teeth until the give and the rush of blood.   
  
He did bare fangs this time, “Back off Burnie, just because you wanna feed off vessels, doesn’t mean everyone does. I don’t. Lay off.”   
  
Burnie’s hand came up, snatching Ryan’s wide jaw. He bared his fangs in return, making the younger vampire’s blood run cold. He snarled at him, just a couple of inches taller. His voice was surprisingly calm and quiet for the anger on his face, “One taste after ten years, you’ll be begging after him in no time. It’s impossible to resist, Ryan. Don’t fight it.” He pushed his face away forcefully, making Ryan stagger a step. He waved him off before he could retort, walking off the other way.   
  
Ryan rubbed his jaw, watching him go with a nest of snakes hatching and writhing in his gut.   
  
He could still taste Ray’s blood on the back of his tongue.


	3. Sweet Marjoram

Warmth flowing over this tongue. The feel of a frantic heart pulsing through his teeth. Excess blood dripping past the corners of his lips in his rush. Hands on his shoulders, pushing weakly. A barely there voice whispering, silently begging, “Ry-Ryan, s-stop, please- please stop.”

A swimming in his head, a haze of blood. The flutter of a heart like a frightened, trapped animal before it stopped completely. Not a single beat after that, disappointment. The feel of teeth pulling free from flesh. A deep breath of cool air.

A limp body and a weak chuckle. A shake and a nervous chuckle. Panic. Tears.

No pulse, no heartbeat. No life. So many tears and muttered apologies. Cradled close, the smell so familiar still lingered.

Ryan woke with a start, chest heaving. There was a sheen of sweat on his brow and he propped himself up on an elbow to check the time. He wiped wetness from his eyes that was not sweat, and tried to close the memories back in the black box and lock it up again. He didn’t want that haunting him forever. Eternity was a long time to carry a guilt that heavy.

Licking over his lips and swallowing hard, Ryan got up, even if it was a little early in the morning to do so, and went about his morning routines. That soft quivering, dying voice plaguing him all the while.

o0o

Ray had slept a dreamless sleep, but he’d woken before his alarm. He traced the line of the scar on his hand and let his hand fall to the covers with a sigh through his nose, watching his alarm clock until it went off next to him.

He hadn’t seen Ryan again after the incident yesterday, though he’d been reassured that the man had gone home as soon as they were done for the day. He’d gone home worried, and had nearly texted the vampire on two different occasions, but had left his phone alone, second guessing himself. Ryan probably didn’t want to talk to him. Especially not about what had happened if his face when he’d took off was any indication.

Sitting under the spray for the shower, hot and cleansing, he’d cleaned up and when he’d finished, he’d let the water pour over him, opening his pores and making him feel even cleaner, clearer. Ray closed his eyes and let his mind wander, he had a few minutes to waste.

Ryan’s lips on his hand, kissing over his knuckles, Ray’s toes clenched in the bottom of the tub.

That warm, swift tongue darting over fingertips and suckling on his digits. Ray’s breath hitched a little and his dick stirred.

A watering mouth, he bit his lip, and in his mind, Ryan was trailing kisses up his arm, over his shoulder, and up his neck. Ray whimpered softly before taking his dick in hand, bracing himself against the wall of the shower.

Stroking over himself, Ryan suckled marks into his throat, whispers sweet nothings to him. His teeth just barely grazed Ray’s skin and his muscles clenched. He whispered Ryan’s name in the sanctity of his shower, safe from prying eyes. His asshole clenched and he huffed and puffed. The hot water was the reason he was short of breath. Of course it was.

He licked over his lips, water dripping down his face and he teased at the hole in his dick with a thumb, the other hand shifting between his legs to squeeze his balls a little. Ryan’s teeth and lips on him, nipping at him, not hard enough to break skin, but kisses hard enough to bruise, hickies already blossoming across his neck.

Ryan’s teeth hovered over his pulse and Ray asked softly if he would, he begged quietly for him to bite him, pumping his dick hard and fast, greedy for the pressure and pleasure. He shivered, and when Ryan bit him, he came with a jolt, a sudden harsh yell, his own release surprising him. There was spunk down the shower wall and he milked himself dry, letting go when he was oversensitized.

Ray rinsed himself off and splashed water onto the wall to wash his cum away. He took a deep breath after, knees wobbly.

“Holy shit.”

o0o

Michael had been waiting outside for him when he’d come out, dressed and showered, with the last of a microwavable croissan'wich in his mouth, locking up behind himself. Climbing in the car, Michael’s eyes were all over him. Blinking a few times, Ray squinted back, “Do I have something stuck in my teeth?”

He reached across and poked Ray in the throat, making him squawk and clamp a hand to his neck, “What was that for?”

“You’ve got a mad hickey, dude. Who was sucking on your neck and/or dick last night?” He snickered, smirking at his fellow lad before he pulled out of the apartment’s parking lot and out onto the road.

Lindsay in the back seat wolf whistled and Ray sunk in his seat, blushing furiously, confused and embarrassed. Lindsay and Michael fist bumped over the driver’s seat and he wanted to die.

o0o

Ray had his hoodie pulled up high in hopes no one would see the mark. He had no fucking clue where it had come from, or how it had gotten there, but it was there. He’d hoped no one would see. But it took all of about half an hour before the company knew and was whispering about it amongst themselves. Michael and Lindsay had seen, so of course everyone knew.

Geoff had patted him on the back and said it was a good one. Jack had only chuckled and shook his head, no comment to add. Ray’s face had gone from rosey pink to tomato in the first twenty minutes.

When Ryan had spotted it though, the vampire’s stomach bottomed out. If Ray had a hickie, that meant that he had a lover, or at least someone he was close enough to and trusted enough to suck on his neck and give him that affection. It meant that Ryan’s crush was unrequited, clearly. He already had someone else, probably someone with no connections to Roosterteeth. Someone he could go home to and relax with and not have to worry about work with.

Ray was staring at him when he snapped out of the confines of his own mind and his own musing. He cleared his throat and looked away. It was Gavin who piped up, leaning over to whisper to the vampire, “Rye-bread, did you see the monster hickey on X-Ray’s neck?”

Ryan’s gaze settled on Gavin and the siren waggled his eyebrows, not really seeing the malice behind his soft blue eyes. His jaw set and he sighed, going back to his work without a word. 

It was the last straw for Ray though, “Gavin! Can we all please just shut the fuck up about it? I’ve got a hickey, whoopdie-fucking-doo.” He was standing out of his chair, “I don’t know how the fuck I got it, but I don’t need the whole damn building whispering and gossiping. Don’t you assholes have anything better to do?” He was embarrassed and mortified by all of this and just wanted people to hush about it already.

Gavin turned the stare at him, bewildered, “X-Ray, how do you NOT know who gave you a bigass love bite?”

Ray took a breath, shaking a little, “I don’t know, alright. I woke up with it.”

Slowly Ryan stood from his chair, taking a few steps towards Ray. He offered out an arm and the lad looked up at him, jaw set, indignation written clear across his face. But he didn’t run, with let Ryan reach and pull him against him, a hand in his dark hair immediately, “It’s alright.”

A million possibilities ran through his head and he needed to get him away from people to talk to him. Instead of prying eyes and ears, he led Ray off into one of the meeting rooms with a couch, pulling the boy onto the couch with him, “It’s alright.” He kept up with the quiet reassurance.

Rigid and stiff in his arms, Ray was still shaking. Ryan rubbed his back gently, brushing hair out of his face now and then. Eventually Ray slumped boneless against him, huffing a sigh. His fingers tightened in Ryan’s shirt and he kept his head pressed to his shoulder. Ryan barely heard his voice, “Sorry.”

“Hey, no sorries. Nothing to be sorry about. Not your fault the company thrives on gossip. You’re a quiet guy with a quiet life, so stuff about you is extra juicy to a bunch of vultures.” Ryan kept up rubbing his back gently, in long languid lines or little circles.

Ray didn’t say anything in response, just stayed tucked against the vampire, letting him rub his back. Eventually Ryan spoke up again, “Ray, can I ask you something? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, or if it makes you uncomfortable or anything.”

Quietly, “Shoot.”

Ryan chewed on his lip, “What happened last night? Do you remember? Anything? Was there anyone in your house with you?”

With eyebrows pressed tight when he looked up, eyes narrowed, “What are you getting at, Rye?”

Squirming a little, he didn’t want to voice it. It was probably stupid, but… If he was right…

“Did someone touch you without your consent last night, Ray?”

He sat up all the way, one hand still on Ryan’s chest to keep himself steady, “Are you asking me if a rapist left me with a hickey?”

Ryan cringed, but didn’t have the voice to answer. He only met eyes with the lad and nodded.

Ray melted back against him, tucking up into him, making himself small against his side, his back to Ryan’s side, holding his arm hostage.

“No Ryan, nobody raped me. I went to bed alone and woke up alone. I jacked it in the shower and when I got in Michael’s car, it was there. I didn’t look at myself too hard in the mirror. And I didn’t pinch myself or do it myself or anything.” He huffed another sigh, “I legit don’t know how it got there.”

“Ryan put it there.”

Both men jolted, startled the looked up at the source of the voice. Burnie was standing in the doorway, leaning on the casing with a smirk on his face, fangs wicked sharp.

“What?” Ryan asked, sitting up a little, “I wasn’t anywhere near him last night.”

Stepping past the threshold, he gave them a pistol motion and a click of his tongue, “Right-o, you weren’t.”

“What are you smoking, Burnie?” Ray asked, sitting up the rest of the way to look at the vampire.

“You Bonded last night, didn’t you?”

Ryan shook his head, “No. No, I can vouch and shoot that down right now. I… dreamt about Grace last night, alright? Not Ray. Whatever happened, it wasn’t me.”

“Maybe it was and you only remember the uh, well the unsavory shit. Sorry.” Burnie shrugged.

“Bonded?” the lad asked, at a loss when it came to some of the more technical terminology some species used.

“Bonding is-” Ryan started.

“Dream Ryan was getting it on with Dream Ray,” Burnie interjected, smiling all the while.

Ryan’s blood was starting to boil and he wanted to tear his damn throat out. He hated when he did this, boss or not. He sighed, “It’s not that simple, and you know that as well as anyone, Burnie.”

Burnie stood up a little straighter, “You know how I know it was you, Haywood?” A subtle shift in his tone made Ryan sit up a little straighter and pay a fraction more attention to what he had to say, “You tasted his blood yesterday. I saw your pupils blown out. You loved it. You dreamt about him and you Bonded to him last night.”

Thinking about it, Ryan glanced between the two of them, unsure of what to say or what to think. He hadn’t done it. He hadn’t dreamt of Ray. He wouldn’t have argued if he had, but he’d had much more unpleasant things on his mind. Things Burnie had managed to dredge up. He shook his head but before he could get words out, Burnie shook his head, “Not a bad thing, just uh, I’d ask permission next time.”

He opened the door, waggling fingers at them, “Toodles.”

Turning to look up at Ryan next to him, Ray’s shoulders were high and defensive. He put a hand over the mark on his neck as if he might be able to will it away.

Ryan put both hands up, “Ray, will you hear me out on this?”

Silence, brown eyes tracking his face.

“Bonding is not as simple as Burnie made it out to be. When a vampire dreams of another, they can often times share a dream. They can often times feel sensation and share moments together in their dreams. I didn’t dream of you last night. I had… other things on my mind. Not that- I mean- I haven’t before but I would try to ask you before I ever did. It takes a bit of conscious effort on the vampire’s part, but please, believe me, it wasn’t me.” Licking over his lips quickly, “I wouldn’t Bond with you unless you gave me permission to.”

Ray listened to his words, glancing around the room as he did. He sat still, and hadn’t said anything for a long while before he squirmed around and settled back in against Ryan like he’d been before, holding his arm close to his chest.

A slow, hesitant hand went back to rubbing circles and long lines into his back. Ryan noted Ray was thinner than he looked in some places. He had good muscles, but was still kinda scrawny. He felt a pang in his chest, he wanted to make sure the boy was well fed. It came as a strange feeling to him, but he squashed most of the feeling down.

Someone hand Bonded with Ray, and it hadn’t been him. The boy probably had a suitor who was a little less respectful of boundaries as he was. If Ray wasn’t upset about the advances though, Ryan couldn’t very well tell anyone off in his stead.

Instead, he let the lad rest against him, glad to feel him breathing, feel his warmth and his pulse. It meant he was alive. Alive was good.

o0o

Hands pulled Burnie into a hallway, pinning him against a wall easily. Joel looked up at him with a smirk. Burnie smiled back, not a single worry in his mind after having been yanked to the side.

“Do they know it was you?” Joel asked, tracing the seam in the lapel of Burnie’s jacket.

A big hand came to cup the older man’s cheek and Burnie smiled, pecking the end of his nose, “I’ll have Ryan drinking with me by next week.” He leaned in to press a kiss to Joel’s mouth but he backed up just enough so that their lips were a hair’s breadth away instead.

“So then how did it go?”

“They’re clueless little birds. There’s no way they know it was me,” Burnie smiled, his voice had a bit of a whine to it, eager for a kiss.

Joel chuckled, rolling his eyes before he let Burnie kiss him, enjoying the feel of the vampire’s lips on his own. He was glad Burnie’s plan was working. He loved to see his pet happy.


	4. Begonia

After Ray had gone back to work, Ryan had puttered around here and there, unable to stay still, unable to focus. He’d spent the rest of his day like that, getting little work done, much to his dismay.

When his door was shut behind him, home sweet home, he shrugged off his jacket, standing in the front room of his house. With high shoulders, he growled out a low, loud sound. He threw his bag down, storming through his house, finally able to properly let his anger out.

How COULD THEY? How could someone Bond with Ray and not even ask his permission? Who had the audacity?

A spark of crackling lightning and anger in his chest wished he had been the first to Bond with the boy, a quiet night in bed, maybe after kissing each other’s breath away and asking permission and getting it explicitly. After explaining to the human just what it was and not dumping it on him and leaving him scared and confused.

Who could be that much of an asshole?

Ryan busied himself instead of being angry, pulling sheets and blankets off the bed, collecting up clothes to put in the washer, doing up the dishes in his sink from the night before. When he’d finished sweeping, he felt a bit better, but he still raked his hand through his hair, far beyond annoyed.

Sitting down on his couch, he put his head in his hands. Ray had Bonded with another vampire. It hadn’t been him. He’d dreamt of Grace. That much he knew for fact all around. He could also assume that if Ray had Bonded with someone, maybe he did have a suitor who wanted to surprise Ray with some of the darker sides of things.

Even that pissed him off though! Someone was doing things Ray hadn’t agreed to. What if he didn’t want those advances. Someone had clearly Bonded with him and did so hard enough to leave a hickey on his neck. Ugh, it made Ryan’s blood boil.

On the counter in the kitchen, his phone vibrated across the counter. He pushed himself up off the couch with an irritated huff before he unlocked it, looking down at the message.

 **Dgeoff:** come out for bevs with us  
 **Rye** : Who is us?  
 **Dgeoff** : me and gav and micoo

Ryan chewed on his lip, thinking about the line up of people, and what he could and couldn’t handle tonight.

 **Rye** : Sure  
 **Dgeoff** : cool were outside

Picking up his phone, he stepped over to his front door to look out the window that lined the side of the door. Sure enough Geoff and Michael and Gavin were all in the car outside, smiling and waving.

 **Rye** : Who is DD?  
 **Dgeoff** : michael  
 **Rye** : I’ll be out in two minutes.

o0o

“Two Jack and Cokes, Gin and AB, and a plain Coke!” Geoff called over the music and the crowd, standing at the bar with Gavin.

Ryan was sitting not far off from the bar with Michael at one of the tables. He’d changed his shirt from his work shirt, but aside from that, he’d been quick about getting out. A quick glance around the bar and he had a small smile on his face. There was the Jersey Devil across from him, the satyr and siren at the bar, he spotted a naga somewhere in the back, a few vampires, at least three different weres. It was a good night to be out.

“So why’d you bolt with Ray this morning? Did you figure out who left that mad hickey on his neck?”

Ryan bristled. Of course this was going to be brought up. It was probably the only reason these assholes invited him. Ray didn’t drink, so they couldn’t drag him out here to ask him. Ryan looked across the table at him, “Ask me when I’m not sober.”

Joke was on Michael, it took a lot to get Ryan drunk.

Gavin and Geoff brought back drinks, handing Michael over his soda and Ryan a glass of blood and gin. Thankfully, with a heavy backing of blood, Ryan could drink the alcohol. Sometimes you had to go about it an odd way to have fun. They all tapped glasses, raising them a little, a toast to a good night.

And a good night it was.

There was a point early on that Gavin started trying to sink drinking songs, but as soon as their heads started to get a bit fuzzy, Geoff clamped his hand over the boy’s mouth, hissing and scolding quickly. The bartender eyeballed them while the rest of the bar shook it off, as if they had spaced out a little. Gavin was sheepish through the next drink, but smiling and laughing into the next.

Well on into the night, Michael was laughing at Gavin drinking a Long Island Iced Tea because he’d told the lad it was close to Michael’s home. The poor kid was off his rocker already. Not surprising Geoff was a little drunk, but not quite enough to be slurring his words. Satyrs held their alcohol so well.

Ryan on the other hand was actually drunk, a surprise even to him, but he’d doubled up after a while, trying to chase away the anger and irritation from earlier, trying to enjoy himself with friends. He was warm and although his stomach ached a bit, he felt good. It was either too full with all the drinks he’d had, or when he’d doubled up on the alcohol in his drinks, his stomach was getting fussy.

He couldn’t give a rat’s ass at this point, honestly. If he threw up, oh well. He was drunk and happy now, and that’s what mattered.

After coming to the conclusion he was done drinking for the night, he ordered himself a tall glass of blood to sip off of for the rest of the night, until the rest of the assholes he’d come in with were ready to head home. Everyone was still bright and laughing though, so he was in no rush. The pleasant warmth running through him was nice.

Standing at the bar, waiting on his drink, a hand slid over the ass of his jeans and around his waist, settling on his hip as someone slunk up to his side. He glanced down, his skin crawling, but he didn’t move under the touch. It was a young woman, looking barely old enough to be in here, and she clearly was not sober. Though she didn’t appear to be drunk. She didn’t stagger, but the way her eyes unfocused told Ryan a good deal, but not enough.

“Can I help you?” He narrowed his eyes at the woman, glancing over at the others, absorbed in their conversation.

She turned, pulling thick brown hair over her shoulder, letting it roll in waves over her chest, exposing the line of her throat. She smiled, walking fingers up his chest, “I think I can help you, more than you can help me.” She looked up at him and melted a little, “God, you’re handsome.”

“Thank you?” He shook it off, waving a hand a little, “What are you talking about? Helping me?”

She laid hands on his chest, giving him the best bedroom eyes she could, still looking foggy.

“You’re not fooling anyone with that act, big boy. You want some. Just a taste. Warm,” she pet over his chest, drawing the words out slowly, smoothing out the lapels of his blazer, “rushing, fresh.” Her voice was breathy, “My heartbeat in your mouth.”

Ryan took a step back, “N-No. I think you need to leave, miss.”

The woman pouted, sticking out her lower lip and tried to look cute, “Aw, that’s no fun. Why else would a stud like you come out if not to find a pretty lady to drink from?” She put a hand over her mouth, giggling, “Or maybe it’s a little lad you’d prefer!” She winked at him and looked off towards the other end of the bar.

There was a table in the corner with a few vampires, and a little cluster of humans, all with the same hazy eyes she had. One of them was a particularly cute boy, and he was in the arms of one of the ladies, her teeth in his throat. His back was arched and there was an obvious swelling in his pants. Ryan swallowed hard, looking back down at the woman trying to lure him back for a drink.

He shook his head firmly, “I don’t drink from the source. Sorry.”

Picking his drink up off the counter, he left the bar, weaving his way back towards his group, looking visibly shaken. He hoped she hadn’t followed him, and a shy glance backwards showed she’d gone back to her own table, pouting the whole way. One of the ladies scooped her up, kissing her and fussing until she laughed, the pair of them looking in Ryan’s direction.

“You alright there, Rye bread?” Michael asked, tilting his head in to get his attention.

“Hmm? Oh, uh, yeah I’m fine.” Ryan shrugged, shaking it off and trying to get back into the swing of things. He felt their eyes on him though, and hit made his skin crawl. He didn’t want to be here anymore.

After a few minutes he spoke up, “On second thought, can we uh, head out? I don’t mean to be a party pooper, but Gavin is thoroughly sloshed and I’ve got people who can’t keep their eyes to themselves.”

“Ey, gettin’ a li’l bit salty, Rye?” Gavin snickered, nudging at him.

Michael watched his features and scanned the bar quickly, his wings fluttering nervously behind him. He found the group Ryan was talking about, and his brow knitted. They were all more or less staring holes into his back. No wonder he was uncomfortable. He reached over to pat Geoff’s arm, “Come on guys, finish up your drinks, we’re heading out.”

Geoff looked down at his nearly full drink and griped, “What’m I supposed to do with this?”

Gavin gasped, too excited, smiling so wide, a little too wide with his slightly off human siren features, “I’m gonna teach you bloody yanks a think or two.”

With a slightly shaky hand he put Geoff’s drink in his hand, his own empty on the table. He cleared his throat and smiled more, “We like to drink with Geoff, 'cos Geoff is our mate, and when we drink with Geoff, he gets it down in 8, 7,”

The other two caught on just before Geoff did and he started to chug the rest of his drink, Michael and Ryan backing Gavin up, “6, 5, 4, 3, 2-”

“Done!” Geoff gasped, setting his drink down hard, thankfully not breaking the glass. He staggered a step, hooves clicking on the floor before he righted himself, laughing, “Woah! Man, that has got to be the coolest shit ever. Why didn’t I think of that?”

The two of them started cracking up and Michael helped usher them out into the warm night air, Ryan trailing behind. He gave one last look to the group at the back table, all of their eyes on him as he left. It was unsettling if nothing else. The pressure of any set of peers was always a bit of a struggle for some people not to succumb to.

o0o

They dropped Ryan off first and while he was leaning in the drivers side window to say goodbye to everyone and thank them for asking him out, Gavin was whispering none too subtly in Michael’s ear about sucking him off.

Ryan backed up a step, “Keep that to yourselves and outta my driveway.” He pointed at Michael, “Get these assholes home safe, alright?”

He chuckled calling back as he headed up the walk, “Text me and tell me about the whiskey dick!”

Michael couldn’t help but laugh with him about that.

Once Ryan was inside, he kicked his shoes off, taking clothes off as he delved deeper into his home, letting them fall where they did, socks and pants and shirt and blazer all left across various furniture and floor space.

Ryan didn’t even bother with any of his lights. He’d shower and pick up his clothes in the morning. The bed laid out before him, the lid to his coffin still open. He shut it, drawing the blinds closed tight. He couldn’t sleep inside it tonight, but the mattress and made up bed on top were almost as good. All the doors and windows were locked, so a state of unconsciousness so deep, as all vampires had, it wouldn’t be too bad in the open. If he needed to vomit in the night, the shut coffin was not really the best place to be sleeping.

In just his boxer briefs, the vampire curled up on the bed, wiggling his way under his covers, flopping over to get some damn shut eye and hope he didn’t wake up with a much dreaded hangover.

o0o

“Ryan, you’ve got a smear of blood on your face.”

“Do I?”

“Yes,” a laugh soft as silk, “Right here, hold still.”

Pleasant silence, then, “Got it.”

A laugh with all the warmth of the sun, “Thank you.”


	5. Judas Tree

Ryan was standing a few yards away, his arms clasped behind his back. Ray was standing in a place that sometimes seemed like a field, sometimes felt like a hallway, and sometimes it looked like a street rarely used. He watched all around him before his eyes centered on Ryan across the way.

“I’m dreaming, aren’t I?” He spoke quietly, but knew somewhere in himself Ryan could hear him regardless of how soft he was.

The vampire offered out his hand, cocking a small smile for him. He eyed the boy before Ray looked him over in return, eyebrows tight. He took a few steps, walking on what felt like gravel underfoot in ratty sneakers. He hadn’t worn shoes this worn since he was a teen and this kind of thing was cool.

His hand settled in Ryan’s and when he glanced away from his face again they were in his apartment, or maybe- it looked like Ryan’s. Or what he remembered from when he had visited to make up for the Lad’s mistake.

“I’m dreaming,” he confirmed with a little not.

He looked back up at Ryan, and almost thought out of the corner of his eye he looked different. He shook it off and chocked it up to the dreamscape flickering and shifting. Ray looked over him again, asking, “Are we… I mean, is this Bonding? I thought you said you didn’t do this shit without permission.”

Ryan could only smile for him, reaching a hand slowly to cup Ray’s cheek. He let him, but he stiffened under his hand, his jaw clenching.

“Rye, talk to me. Is that what this is? I never told you yes! I mean, shit man, the least you could have done was not been a damned hypocrite about it.” His tone took a mocking turn, pulling away from that hand, “Oh Burnie, don’t joke about that stuff, I wouldn’t without permission,’ and then what do you do?”

Slowly the vampire put a finger to his lips, a whisper of a shushing sound passing his lips.

Ray quieted, but he stared at him, clearly uncomfortable.

Ryan held his cheek, the other hand carding fingers through his hair before he leaned in to kiss him slowly, just a simple brush of lips. Ray sat stock still, but didn’t pull away. His stomach clenched and roiled, uncertainty pulsing through him. He swallowed hard, “Ryan.”

There was more on his brain to say at first, but with another gentle kiss, and the vampire pulling him a bit closer, all words fluttered from his mind. He grasped for those thoughts, but they were lost. The only thing in his mind was how warm Ryan’s lips were, and how his skin wasn’t as cold as stories about vampires always said. He was a little cooler, but not frigid. It was something he hadn’t noticed when they worked closely on Let’s Plays, or when he was tucked against him in the flurry of bullshit that had happened earlier in the day.

Ray whispered against his lips, melting slowly under his hands and lips, “Why won’t you talk to me?”

Maybe it was the nature of the dream. He didn’t know Ryan well enough for his dream to construct what he would actually say. But, if they were Bonding, this was Ryan, right?

The wetness of a tongue tracing over the seam of his lips made him shiver, made him shake back to reality, or at least the dream and stop wandering in his head. Who even knew at this point. (Did this count as somnophilia?) He felt that tongue on the edge of his teeth and he let him in slowly, hesitantly.

Ryan pulled him close, kissing him hard quickly, taking that slow invitation as so much more, delving into his mouth and pressing hard against him. Ray groaned, half in pain, half in some pleasure he wasn’t sure how he felt about. He liked Ryan. He’d had an off and on crush on the guy for a while, wherein the off times were him berating himself for thinking he had a chance with a golden god like that.

He kissed back, trying to kiss him hard in return, to one up him maybe. Ray gripped at his shirt, pulling at it a little. Ryan chuckled but it sounded off, a little strange against Ray’s ears. Ryan gripped his jaw, pulling back and leaving a line of drool between them for a moment, a smirk crossing his lips, eyes dark with lust.

Leaning in, he breathed against Ray’s ear. The first time they had Bonded, he hadn’t remembered it until the shower after he’d woken. And this time he felt it all in the moment. It was strange. Ray was panting quietly, but he stayed still, those strong fingers on his jaw. He knew that maybe the stories about them being cold might not be true, but vampires all had a hidden strength in their limbs and bodies, enough to crush a car if they wanted. Ryan could break his bones without batting an eye.

Ryan’s fingers slowly crept down, off his jaw, giving him a little relief from the slight ache that had set in, to the line of his pulse, tracing a finger over it before they sank lower, down over his collarbone and hem of his shirt. Up again, slight callouses on his fingertips brushing the other side of his neck. His thumb reached up to slide along the curve of his jaw before fingers wrapped around his throat.

“Ryan?” Ray asked, eyes darting frantically to the side to see the side of his head, his heart picking up it’s pace to a quick flutter.

Ryan’s voice sounded strange in his ear, the first time he spoke properly since he’d come into this dreamscape. He squeezed tighter on his throat, voice low in his ear,

“Shhh, shhh.” He hummed a note, “You shouldn’t trust me, Ray. I’ve got too much to hide.”

Ray’s hands were on Ryan’s arm, pulling back a little, breathing quickly, panic lacing through his belly, “Ryan, stop.”

“Don’t trust me, Ray.”

His voice dropped, a gentle coo against his ear, almost sweetly, “I’m a killer.”

Ryan squeezed and Ray’s world went black with a sickening crack.

o0o

His lungs burned with the first gasp of air, making him startle awake, sitting forward, clutching his neck where Ryan’s hand has been a moment ago. Ray was shaking, shivering and quaking in his bed. There were tears at the corners of his eyes he scrubbed away quickly. He scooped up his phone and did the first thing he could think to do.

He held it to his ear, waiting for him to pick up. He had his knees tucked to his chest, sitting against the wall.

“Ray?” Michael croaked, “It’s like, fuck dude, it’s three in the morning. What’s up?”

“Michael,” Ray cursed himself internally, clearing his throat of the thickness he felt, “I think Ryan’s trying to kill me.”

o0o

Joel was laying on his stomach in the bed, blankets disheveled around them and Burnie was laying next to him, his head propped up on an elbow, tracing the intricate patterns in the muscles of Joel’s back slowly.

“You’re an asshole, you know that Burns?”

Burnie chuckled, tracing down the thick line that followed his spine, making Joel shiver under him, “I’m not THAT bad, am I? I mean, I’m doing this for good reasons.”

Joel turned his head to look up at him, eyebrows high, “This wasn’t a hickey. You killed the poor kid. He’s probably heaving up a lung from fear.” Joel let his head fall back, “He’s not gonna want to come into work, or Ryan’s gonna get fired. It’s gonna be a mess.”

Fingers left the design on Joel’s back, finding instead, the numerous bite marks in his shoulders and neck, some fresh, some old white scars. He traced figure eights through them, “It’s not that bad, Joel. I just want to get Ryan to come drink with me. He’s the only other vampire in the office, and one of the few I even _know_. I want him to come drink with me.” It almost sounded like a whine.

Burnie leaned down to nuzzle at the top of Joel’s spine, pressing a few gently kisses there.

“You dumb vampires and your pack mentality.”

“Coven,” Burnie corrected.

Joel huffed, sitting up a bit to lean on both elbows, back arched slightly, “I am really happy for you, my pet,” he cooed quietly, leaning in to kiss Burnie’s bicep, “You’re trying to do the thing, but what’s Ray got to do with it? Why do you have to toy with the kid?”

“Oh come on, it’s just some honest good fun. Ray’s a good kid, he probably doesn’t think anything of it.”

Joel’s eyebrows were high, “I think you underestimate how terrifying you can be.”

Burnie snapped his teeth at his love playfully, rolling his eyes.

“Besides, if I turn them against each other,” his voice dropped into a soft singsong sound, “Guess who’s gonna come see Buuuurniiiiieeee?”

Reaching up, Joel pushed his face away with a laugh, “Coven bullshit.”

o0o

Geoff’s hair was dishevaled and the bags under his eyes were deep, but he brushed hair out of Ray’s face. He batted his hand away, “I’m alright Geoff, stop.”

“You called fuckmunch over there to tell him you thought Ryan was going to _kill you_? And now you say shit is fine?” Geoff batted Ray’s hands back in return.

“I was freaked out from a dream and I panicked. It’s fine!” He huffed, “I’m not some stupid damsel in distress, Geoff. It was just a dream.”

Ray’s gaze was hard, but he looked a bit like a kicked puppy, shying away from the hand of help after being hurt. Geoff sighed, letting his arms drop. 

Michael was sitting at the island, where he heaved a sigh, “And the red mark where he had his hand on your throat is nothing?” He sat up a little straighter, still in his pajamas, “We should go kick his ass and teach him a lesson, Geoff.”

“Hold your horses, you’re like a yorkie or something, jeez.” Geoff shook his head, “Ryan is still our friend, and someone who we all know and trust. We work with him every single day. You, you brat,” he pointed at Michael, looking at him pointedly, “need to can it on how quick you’re jumping to shit. I’m sure there is a perfectly logical explanation to the shit that’s going on.”

Michael’s wings were tight and shading him after being scolded, the ginger grumbling in his winged shelter. Geoff turned to Ray, voice a little quieter, “It’s up to you what we do when it comes to Ryan. You know as well as I do he’s a good dude. There’s gotta be another reason. There are times vampires Bond to people they’re fond of without realizing it. I had a girl in college do it. It happens sometimes.”

Ray sighed, crossing his arms over himself, less in anger and to close himself off, and more because it made him feel a bit safer. This whole thing was a goddamn mess, a goddamn mess he didn’t want to deal with. He liked Ryan, but he was… confused.

Geoff rubbed a hand down one of his arms, “Let’s talk to him tomorrow at work, alright? Lets all get some sleep and we can hash shit out properly tomorrow. You, me and Rye.”

“Hey! What about me?” Michael piped up from under his wings.

The satyr waved a hand at him, “You said we should go beat him up, can it! You’re grounded until further notice.”

Michael huffed, sticking his tongue out and crossing his eyes in a childish manner when Geoff looked away. He leaned over the countertop to listen to their conversation, head propped on his arms.

“A chat tomorrow. Okay? Get everything on the table and… With all this Bonding stuff, I think it’d be good if Ryan told you about Grace.”

“Grace?” Ray asked, looking up at Geoff, head slightly tilted in his confusion.

Geoff ruffled his hair, “Sleep now. We can talk about this shit tomorrow, alright? Do you want us to stay here tonight?”

Ray glanced at them both and shook his head, “Thanks, but it’s just a dream, it’ll be fine. I’ll see you guys at work tomorrow, alright? Thanks for uh, checking up on me and shit.”

The satyr smiled, nodding for him, and backed up a step before he ushered Michael out with him, the devil pouting the whole way, grumbling about being grounded and Geoff not _really_ being his dad.

Geoff gave Ray a small wave and didn’t leave until he heard the click of the lock on the front door.

Ray’s sleep was, thankfully, silent blackness the rest of the night.


	6. Lilac

The air around the office was tense as soon as Ryan stepped through the front doors. Everyone watched him and stared as he passed, but no one returned his greetings or his waves. It made his stomach clench and roil. What was wrong? Had someone died and he’d just not heard yet?

Stepping into the Achievement Hunter office, it was like a kick in the face.

“And the asshole finally shows his face!” Michael chimed, glowering from his desk.

“Michael! I thought I told you to keep it shut!” Geoff snapped, turning from his chair to stand up.

Ryan glanced around the room, the last to arrive in to work today apparently. Jack wouldn’t meet his eye and Gavin wasn’t even looking at him. Michael continued to stare, his gaze menacing at best. Ray watched him, but the boy looked a bit green.

“We need to talk, Ryan,” Geoff said slowly.

“W-what’s going on? The whole office is really cold and quiet. Did… someone die?” Ryan asked, his heart fluttering in his chest and making him feel ill. Like he might lose his breakfast.

“Nobody died, but you, Ray and I need to have a long talk.”

“What?” Michael piped up from his desk.

Geoff turned, face scrunched a little, stamping a hoof, “You’re not helping. You’ve already shown you can’t keep your temper and your mouth in check. You and Gav had a Play Pals to film anyway.”

Ryan’s voice shook a little, “Did I… am I going to get fired?” His mind raced with what it could have been that he’d done wrong. Something that involved Ray clearly, since he was joining the conversation, but, nothing was coming to mind. Their cuddling on the couch to ease the boy? Or- Oh god-

“Geoff, oh god, I never meant for- I didn’t realize-” Ryan covered his mouth, looking from Geoff to Ray still sitting in his chair.

“What?” Geoff asked, tilting his head in a little.

“I- He cut himself on a boxcutter the other day. I licked the wound closed for him. Was that- I mean- was I not supposed to? I’m sorry!”

Ray stood up, pulling his headphones off his head, “No! No, dude! That, that’s not what this is about. That was fine and thanks. I was kind of bleeding all over the place.” He glanced down, then looked back up, squinting at him, “Be honest with me, Rye, please. Have you been Bonding with me?”

Ryan’s brow knit and he looked between the two of them. He swallowed hard and said flatly, “No. I told you I wouldn’t unless I have permission. I don’t have permission.”

“You haven’t been doing it without realizing?” Geoff asked.

Shaking his head, “No. I haven’t even had a spare moment in my sleep to think of Ray to Bond with him, even accidentally.”

“Why?” Ray asked, stepping forward.

Ryan chewed at his lip, his fangs peeking out from the corners of his mouth. He looked at the floor, shifting from foot to foot where he stood, “I’ve had too many dreams of… someone I cared about to have time to dream of you.”

“Who?” At least he was keeping his questions simple.

Blue eyes flicked up at Geoff and he glanced around the room, “I... “

Geoff gestured to the door, nodding his head, “There’s probably a conference room open somewhere in the building.”

Ryan sighed with relief, letting out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. He was the first to sneak off, his stomach like a nest of snakes. He grabbed a ginger ale from the vending machine on their way to the board room to talk, in some hope it might help to settle his stomach.

Ray sat on the edge of the table and Geoff stood by the door with his arms crossed.

“You need to tell him, Ryan. With all this Bonding bullshit going on, the kid deserves to know.”

Ryan watched the bubbles in his soda for a minute, he spoke up, but kept his eyes on the bottle.

“Her name was Grace. She was a mermaid I met on the beach in Georgia. She had this lovely long black hair and a voice like silk. I… I loved her a lot.” He licked over his lips before continuing, “There was this jerk, a fire elemental, who just wouldn’t leave her alone and I knocked his damn teeth in. We were friends for a while before I asked her out. She meant so much to me.”

“What happened to her?” Ray asked, voice barely above a whisper, his feet on the edge of the table and his arms wrapped around his knees. His chin settled into the divot between his kneecaps.

Looking up slowly, he answered, his voice sounding sullen and defeated, “I killed her.”

A silence hung in the room and Ryan shook his head, “It was an accident, but I still killed her. Sometimes she let me drink from her, she liked the rush, she liked how close it made her feel to me. I went too far one night, she tasted so good, I… I didn’t stop. She begged, she pleaded quietly for me to stop, but I couldn’t hear her. I just drank. And when I stopped, when I felt the tickle of her soul at my tongue, I realized I’d killed her.”

Raking a hand through his hair, he looked up at the others and nodded slowly, “I haven’t drunk from a living source since, and I have… had more dreams about her lately. I thought I had gotten over it, but, I guess not.”

In truth, thoughts of Ray and his soft lips, his round face with that dusting of stubble, his laugh and his awkward sarcasm, it’d made him think of her because he cared a great deal about Ray. He always had. And with Burnie bringing her up, making him think about his dreams about her as much as he did, it was difficult for him. He didn’t wanna think about his dead girlfriend anymore. He wanted to move on. He wanted to heal.

Geoff was really only meant to be mediator right now, but he still put a hand on Ryan’s shoulder, rubbing his arms, “You know what you did was an accident, and I’m sorry it happened. But, now Ray knows.” He looked over at the lad, “I’m sure it’s a bit of a relief to know since you’ve been beating around that bush for awhile, yeah?”

Ray shrugged his shoulder, chewing on his lip, “I’m… sorry about what happened to her, Rye.” He didn’t really know what else to say.

Ryan relived the day her parents found out, how sad they were, how heartbroken. They were sad, but they didn’t contact the police. They didn’t press charges. They said it wasn’t Ryan’s fault and she was buried three days later. They’d always been sweet on Ryan, and when he’d said it was an accident with tears in his eyes, worn and red cheeks from his crying, his voice hoarse, they believed him. They knew Ryan well, and they knew their Grace well. Police and detectives were never involved.

When he snapped back, it was because Ray cleared his voice, “Ryan?”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t know what’s going on, and I know you said you keep dreaming about her, but I keep… the hickey wasn’t something I could do, and last night?”

Ray pulled down the collar of his hoodie that had been pulled high to hide the mark. A big handprint on his throat was obvious. Ryan’s stomach dropped and he covered his mouth, standing up, “Holy shit.”

He looked from Geoff to Ray, eyes wide.

“You did this,” Ray explained, tracing the mark on his throat.

Ryan’s eyes widened further, his heart leaping into his throat, “Me? No- No, I would never! Ray, I’d never hurt you.” His throat was thick and he felt like if he opened his mouth too wide, his heart would come beating out of him. His hands shook and he shook his head, his voice soft and frantic, “Ray, please. I wouldn’t ever lay a finger on you.”

“I don’t know what happened, or what’s going on Ryan, you understand this shit better than I did, but I know what I saw last night, and you’re the one who had his hand around my throat.” There was a pause before he continued, quieter, “I woke up after you snapped my neck.”

He closed his eyes, holding his hand over his mouth for a moment, turning to and fro, pacing the length of the conference room table, chest heaving. When he stopped, he looked back at Geoff, then at Ray, “What other vampires do you know?” Ryan quickly rounded the table, reaching for one of Ray’s hands.

Ray blinked a few times, “U-uh, there’s a dude who frequents the arcade, and a chick I see a lot at the supermarket, but I don’t _know them_ know them. And Burnie, but-”

Ryan looked up quickly, looking at Geoff before his jaw set. He stepped around Geoff and pulled the door open, a low growl on his lips, walking the hallways quickly, with more than a purpose. He looked pissed all of a sudden. He called from down the hallway to his office even, “Burnie! Burnie, this is fucked up and you _know it_!”

He burst into Burnie’s office, and thankfully he was here, alone looking over some of the new shows the Achievement Hunters had in mind for the channel. He stood up, “Ryan, what are you talking about? What’s going on?”

Ray and Geoff were hot on Ryan’s tail though, and Ray rounded the corner, stepping into the office alongside Ryan and Geoff shut the door behind them all. Ryan’s finger was thrust into Burnie’s face, a hand flat on his desk, “ _You’ve_ been doing this shit to Ray, haven’t you?”

Burnie looked at all of their faces in turn, “I have no idea what you’re going on about, Ryan.”

“You’ve been guised as me and Bonding with Ray! You _killed_ him last night!” Ryan spat, snarling at him, fangs bared. “Why the fuck are you even _doing_ shit like that? Ray thinks I’m going to _kill_ him! Like, in real life!”

A soft laugh before he wiped the side of his hand under his nose, “It’s just harmless fun, right Ray?”

“What? Fuck no, man!” Ray retorted, taking Burnie by surprise, “You killed me in my dream last night! I _knew_ Ryan’s laugh sounded off. It was _you_!” The little Hispanic stepped up next to Ryan, glowering at their boss with all the ferocity a toothless, clawless human could muster.

Geoff stood by the door, hooves planted hard to make sure no one was going to be getting past him until this was resolved. Damn children.

Burnie shook it off, “It’s not that big a deal, guys, c’mo-”

“Not that big a deal? Burnie, what were you hoping to get out of this? By scaring the shit out of Ray and making me out to be some potential _killer_?”

Licking over his lips, pursed tight, and eyebrows high on his forehead he rounded the desk, sitting on the edge of the front of it, “I was hoping, that I might be able to force you away from something you care about so you’d come join my coven.” At least he was being honest about it.

“What coven, Burnie?”

“Well, I mean, there’s no rules against you and I starting a coven,” he shrugged, looking at the wall to the right rather than Ryan’s face.

“Okay first of all, I’m not being your Matron. And I’m really not keen on the idea of you being mine either. We’re not compatible and we’re really just can’t go and make a coven. You need people who’d, you know, tolerate each other for eternity, and frankly Burnie, fuck you.”

Burnie looked back at Ryan, his face hard and upset. Ryan shook his head, sighing, “Instead of just manipulating people into doing the shit you want in some backwards twisted way, why don’t you try talking to people about things? With words? Making Ray distance himself from me by thinking I was going to hurt him? I’d never hurt Ray, I love him, alright?” Without realizing what he’d said, he kept right on going, “Or you could have asked me straight out about this coven stuff instead of beating around the bush with this ‘coming to drink with you’ stuff!”

Ryan sighed, his shoulder slumping. He raked a hand through his hair and tried to calm himself. Ray cleared his throat behind him and he looked back at him and Ray asked quietly, “Is that true? The uh, the shit you said about l-” He choked on a laugh, ‘L-loving me?”

With a pinched brow he licked over his lips, looking at everyone in the room, somewhat confused. He swallowed hard and tried to give Ray a shaky smile. Taking a step back, Ray piped up, “I uh, I gotta go.”

Ryan put a hand up to stop him, but he had slipped past Geoff before Ryan had been able to say anything to explain himself or the situation. Ray hated him. Of course he hated him. Why would anyone not hate him after confessing shit like that at a time like this? Looking between Burnie and Geoff, he pushed past Geoff too, skulking off in the direction of the office.

Geoff stood at the door, left open for him and Burnie chuckled from his desk, “Well, that was quite the adventure.”

“Burnie, come on man, you know as well as I do that you stirring the pot like this makes it hard to work. Cut the crap and leave them both alone. I have known you for years and years, and this meddling thing, it’s gotta stop. If you wanna start a coven so bad, _turn_ someone to be your Matron. Or hell, let them be your Patron.” He had his hand on the doorknob on his way out and added, “Maybe someone can smack some sense into that thick head of yours.”

o0o

Ray was standing at the drink machine guzzling down a bottle of water when Michael found him, coming out to get something for himself.

“So, how did it go? Is Ryan in a few pieces?”

Nearly choking on the last swallow he tossed his bottle in the bin, croaking between coughs, “Are Jersey Devils just more prone to being violent assholes?”

Michael blinked a few times, raising an eyebrow. His tone made it sound like this was an odd question to be getting, “Yyyyeees? Did you not know?”

“No, I had no clue. Not the point. Point is, you’re an ass.”

Still wholly confused, he glanced around as if looking for someone Ray could be talking to other than himself before asking, “What the hell did I do?”

“Quit jumping right to him getting dead. You’re assuming shit went down. I mean, well, shit _did_ go down, but it’s not Ryan’s fault!”

“Oh come on Ray, you already sound like a battered spouse, ‘oh it wasn’t his fault’, ‘it was an accident’, what’s next? ‘I ran into a door’?”

Ray groaned loud and outright, “You’re so fucking stupid, Michael! Ryan wasn’t the one Bonding with me this whole time. Burnie was! Why are you so eager to throw him under the bus?”

“Wait, wait, wait, back this trainwreck up. _Burnie_ has been the one Bonding with you? I thought you said it was Ryan.” Michael put his hands up, his face scrunched up in confusion.

“I _thought_ it was. Apparently Burnie can ‘guise’ or some shit. I don’t fucking understand vampires alright? All I know is that the one that’s been messing around in my head the past while is Burnie, not Ryan, but wanted me to think it was Ryan so he could get Ryan to join some club thing.”

“Coven,” Michael corrected.

“What the fuck ever, it’s still messed up. I’m not some _pawn_ in some immortal asshole’s game. Especially not when one of them-”

Ray cut himself off, snapping his mouth shut.

Michael ducked his head in closer, his wings twitching behind him in anticipation, “One of them what? What were you going to say?”

“Nothing! I wasn’t going to say anything.” Ray squirmed off to the side, heading towards the kitchen. Michael of course, was not far behind.

“Seriously man, you were going to say something! What were you going to say?”

“It’s nothing, Michael, drop it, okay? It’s stupid.” Ray brushed him off, ducking outside to get some fresh air after the shit that had gone down.

He wasn’t going to let him get away so easily, and Michael shut the door behind him as he trailed after him like a lost puppy.

“Ray-”

“Ryan said he loved me, alright?” Ray turned around, voice hushed. He frantically looked about to see if anyone had heard him. He turned back quickly, “Don’t tell anyone alright,” he hissed, “I-I don’t even know if he _meant it_ meant it, or like, I don’t know man, I fled like a little bitch before he could say anything.”

Ray ran hands through his own hair, walking around this corner of the parking lot a little. Michael’s laughter was a little huff, then a chuckle, then an outright laugh. Ray stopped, hands still in his hair and watched him with an unimpressed look.

“I’m so glad my misery and suffering is amusing to you.”

“Misery and suffering he says. Dude, you’re so fucked. You like him back!” Michael pointed, still laughing.

“Wha- No that’s- I mean- Michael!” Ray was exasperated, gesturing at him vaguely, lost in it all. He threw his arms up and groaned loudly, unable to stand listening to him laugh his fool head off.

His wings fluttered behind him and he held his sides, cackling. Eventually his laugh caught Ray too and he started chuckling, but covered it with his hand, trying to shake it off.

“This is like playground drama, Ray!”

Ray was laughing with him now too, and he had to admit, this was all just a little bit ridiculous. He walked back up to Michael before he dropped his head kind of hard onto his shoulder and sighed his giggles away. 

Michael’s wings wrapped around them like a big cloak and the devil chuckled, muttering quietly, “Ray and Ryan, sitting in a tree, R-I-M-M-I-”

He wasn’t able to finish before Ray punched him.

o0o

Ryan was sitting at his desk with his headphones tight over his ears, leaning in over his computer a bit, absorbed in his work and kicking off an aura that said, ‘don’t even bother’. Geoff found him like this after his talking to with Burnie and sighed. He tapped Jack on the shoulder, gesturing to him, “How long has sulky been like this?”

Jack pulled one side of the headphones off his ears, “Uh, since he came in. Came in and plopped down and got right to work. No greetings, no nothing. Is something up?”

Geoff shook his head, patting Jack’s shoulder, “Don’t worry about it.”

He stepped to the side and around Ryan’s chair before nudging it with his foot, catching his attention. He sat down in his own chair and waited, waited for Ryan to acknowledge him.

Ryan pulled his headphones down, asking his boss, “Did you need something, Geoff?” His tone still sounded bitter.

“I need you to do me a huge, huge favor and stop being a fucking pissbaby. Can you do that for me?” He watched as Ryan’s brow creased, but continued before he could open his mouth, “You and Burnie and Ray and all this bullshit that’s been going down. We’re goddamn adults, and I’m not your babysitter or your father. I shouldn’t have to play mediator.”

He opened his mouth to protest but the satyr put a finger up, eyes sharp despite their usually hooded appearance, “But I _do_ because I care about you lot of dunderheads. God only knows why.” Geoff chuckled, sitting back in his chair, “So this means, you need to grow a pair and go talk to Ray. You spilled your guts back there and freaked out when Ray saw the mess you made, but you don’t even know what he was thinking.”

“He was thinking I’m a freak or something, Geoff. It’s not that hard to figure out. Dude’s straight as an arrow, and you can’t tell me that me throwing that out there like an idiot like I did, didn’t gross him out and he went to go, I don’t know, vomit up a lung or something.” Ryan griped, pouting in his chair, watching his editing work, though he wasn’t doing anything with it.

Geoff rolled his eyes, sighing as he did, “Wouldn’t it be nice to at least have some closure? To make _sure_ that’s what he meant? What if that’s not what he meant? What if you’re pushing away something good?”

Ryan’s eyes tracked across the desk slowly before they settled on Geoff. He worried away at his lip before he started picking at his nails, “Do you, do you think so?”

“Oh god, I am not dealing with this smoopy vampire cliche mumbo jumbo crap! Go talk to him you bloody idiot!” Gavin said from across the room.

Taken by surprise he huffed a laugh, ducking his head to try to cover it up with a hand brushing under his nose. He licked over his lips and let his shoulders slump. Ryan pulled his headphones off his neck where he’d pulled them down and set them on the desk, saving his project. He debated it another moment or two until Jack started humming the tune to Jeopardy behind him.

“Alright alright, I’ll go! Jesus, you guys are incorrigible.”


	7. Pink Rose Bud

Ryan watched Ray and Michael outside, and they were both laughing and smiling. Part of him wanted to turn back around and go back to the office. He knew the moment he went outside, he’d ruin that seemingly good mood. He chewed on his lip, thinking about it before he sighed in defeat. If he went back into the office, he was going to get hounded and forced back out until he dealt with his problem. He didn’t really have much of a choice right now.

He opened the door and peeked out, “Uh, Ray?”

The lads stopped and looked over at him from where they stood and Ray tensed. Ryan swallowed hard before asking, “Can I uh, can I talk to you alone?”

Michael turned and waggled his eyebrows at Ray, a gesture that was hidden from Ryan’s voice. Ray reached out and swatted him in the arm before the devil squawked a laugh and darted back inside, his wings tucked tight so he could scoot past Ryan easily. The door shut behind him with a click, leaving Ryan and Ray standing outside alone, an awkward silence between them.

“I uh, I’m sorry about all that bullshit that went on in there and, if you ever have someone Bond with you without you consenting to that, let me know. I am totally game for smashing heads in.” Ryan tried to laugh, ease the mood a little.

Ray only nodded, his lips pursed.

The two stood awkwardly and Ryan considered going back inside and calling it quits before Ray spoke up suddenly, “Did you mean what you said in there?”

Ryan put a hand up to rub at his neck, “Uh, that would depend. Which part?”

“You know which part, Ryan! You’re not dumb!” Ray pouted, “Well, I don’t know about that.”

Heaving a sigh, Ryan ran a hand through his hair and it made Ray’s heart lurch a little. The vampire glanced up at the sun and inched into the shade a little, the warmth of it making his skin itch. He rubbed his arm, watching the pavement before he looked up at the human, “I meant it.”

Ray narrowed his eyes a little, confusion crossing his features, “Why though?”

“Why?” Ryan coughed a laugh, “Well I mean, you’ve got a good sense of humor, even if it’s more crude than mine. You’re smart, good at video games. You do this thing with your hoodie tassels that I don’t even think you realize you do where you chew on them while you’re playing video games and it’s cute. You’re compassionate about things you like, and you’re not one to hate on stuff you don’t like.” He took a breath, looking away, “I don’t know Ray, why does anyone like anything?”

“Am I at least a hot piece of ass?” Ray asked with a devilish little grin.

The vampire looked up quickly, his cheeks tinted red, “W-well, I mean, well, yeah! You’ve got a cute face and your eyes are-” Ryan put a hand to his cheek, feeling the heat there before he looked away again. “You’ve got a nice ass too, but you know.”

Ray wolf whistled for him, snickering, “Look how red you are man. Were you turned back in the dark ages were complimenting someone was like, blasphemous or some shit.” He laughed lightly, “But, thanks. I think I’m a hot piece of ass too, so glad we’re on the same page.”

The human needed just a little bit of validation, although he’d never say it out loud. He was human, and therefore, in an office of freaks and monsters, he always felt a little underwhelming. It was nice to know someone appreciated him for something other than his humanity or his blood or his soul.

Ryan shifted from foot to foot, nervous, before he gestured to Ray standing in front of him, “So you… you’re not bothered by anything I said back there or now?”

Ray laughed, shaking his head, “No, why would I?” He leaned in a little, “Lemme tell you a secret man, come on, lean in. Closer.”

He complied of course, leaning in until he could nearly feel the heat of the human’s skin. Ryan absently licked over his lips, swallowing hard.

“I think you’re a hot piece of ass too.”

Ryan pulled back as if he’d been burned, his face nearly looking like he had been and he turned around for a moment, huffing a few times before he found his composure while Ray laughed behind him. When he turned back around, he could see the lad had tears in the corners of his eyes, way too amused by Ryan’s embarrassment. He hadn’t dated or tried dating in at least fifty years. It was hard, okay?

“Guess I’ll pick you up for dinner around five on Friday, then.”

Ray stopped mid laugh, “W-wait, what? Dinner? Like, like a date?”

Ray smiled, a devilish little grin that showed off those sharp fangs and he laughed, that deep laugh that made Ray shiver, “Well yeah, kinda how two people who mutually think they’re hot pieces of ass go about things. I’m not going to straight into dickings, as much as you might want to. At least gimme a chance to woo you.”

“Woo me?” Ray asked, exasperated, “Did you just use those words? Rye, please.”

They could only laugh, but there were no arguments about the time or the date.

o0o

“I can’t do this Michael. I can’t do this. He’s gonna think I’m an idiot,” Ray whined, digging through his meager closet, most of which was RT merch.

“Well, you are an idiot, so I don’t see where your problem is?” Michael asked, the Jersey devil lounging on the bed with his wings spread, fluttering a little as Ray moved around the room.

“I don’t have anything to wear that’ll be Ryan level. Dude’s a high class vampire and we’re going to dinner!”

Michael propped himself up on an elbow, 3DS in hand but forgotten for a moment, “He went out for bevs with me, Geoff and Gavin last week. He wore street clothes like he always does. Why is now different?”

Ray had a button up shirt with stains on it in hand, “Well, I mean, now it’s a _date_ date. With suits and flowers and junk and if I don’t look nice, well, what’s the point of going?”

The devil sighed, flopping back into his friend’s bed, “Ray, Ryan doesn’t like you for your wardrobe. I’m sure he likes you for what's under the wardrobe really. You don’t have to wear a goddamn tux. Just, you know, try to wear something that doesn’t have stains on it. You’re not an animal.”

Ray flopped onto the bed, narrowly avoiding crushing one of Michael’s wings, which he thought would have been fine consider he was being an unhelpful asshole anyway. He groaned and draped the stained shirt over his face.

“What if I just went naked? He said he liked my ass.”

“If public indecency wasn’t a problem, I’d _pay_ you.” Michael glanced down at him with a grin.

o0o

“He’s going to freak out if I eat, Jack, I’m just going to take him somewhere nice where _he_ can have a nice meal, alright?” Ryan sighed, shaking his head.

Broadcasting through the speakers of his laptop set on the desk, Jack sighed as well, “Ryan, if you don’t ever eat around him, this isn’t gonna work. You remember that chick Geoff dated that said she talked to trees? The one that wouldn’t let anyone see her eat? You remember how awkward Geoff said that was for everyone involved?” Jack shook his head and shrugged a shoulder, “You’re gonna have to eat at some point in front of him if you wanna get to a second or third date.”

Ryan was ironing out a shirt at the end of his bed, still visible in the line of the webcam. He chewed on his lip, setting the iron up so he could run a hand through his clean but still damp hair. He looked over at the computer and Jack’s face looking back at him, smiling lightly at the werelion with a friendly fondness. He turned the iron off before he flopped into the chair at his desk, defeated.

“He freaked out on me about the liver chunks I swiped from your desk. The ones you got for Barb? I know he’s human and all, but I’m still trying to get him to be understanding that human and human meat are the only things I can digest. It’s not me being a… monster. It’s a physical limitation.” He slumped back in his chair, smoothing fingers through his hair and leaving them there, “I just don’t wanna freak him out, you know?”

Jack wrinkled his nose, “If he thinks you’re such hot shit, he’ll get over the fact you eat differently than he does. That’s like, that’s gotta be some kinda racist, right? Species-ist, maybe? Doesn’t matter, it’s rude. You would never hurt anyone and you’d never drink without permission, _if_ you ever drank from the source again. You’re not an animal.”

Ryan was slow to respond, cogs spinning like mad in his head and finally he nodded, “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right Jack. I’ll give it a shot. I just hope you’re right and he understands.” Ray wasn’t totally known for being the most understanding guy, but one could hope it would go well.

He looked up at his friend on the other side of the computer, “Thanks man, you always know what to say.”

“Oh stop, you’ll make me blush.”

Both men busted into laughter, shaking the worry off.

o0o

The doorbell rang at quarter to seven, and Ray was on his feet immediately. He paused, groaning quietly before the edge of Michael’s wing hit him in the ass from where he was still lounging on the bed playing Pokemon.

Ray turned sharply and huffed at him, “I’m _going_!”

The Jersey devil only snickered and watched Ray leave.

He opened the door to see Ryan, the vampire dressed in a teeshirt and a blazer and good jeans and his sneakers. It wasn’t anything over the top, and neither was Ray. His Twitch hoodie, good jeans and his good converse. He smiled for him and blinked past him at the car, “So uh, let’s do this thing.”

Ryan huffed a laugh, “Not even a hello? Are you that nervous, Ray?” He smiled and it was a devilish look, the glint of fangs at the edge of his lips.

Michael popped out from around the corner, “Oh! Ray, before you guys go, here!” He reached out with a closed fist and Ray held his hand out. Michael dropped a handful of condoms in his hands and Ray blushed furiously.

Flinging them back in his face, shouting his name, he turned back around to Michael before he put a finger up, slamming the door in Ryan’s face. From inside the vampire could hear the rumble and squawk and a crash and Michael calling uncle, the beat of his wings and his laughter unmistakable. He thought that had been totally worth it.

Ray reappeared, looking a little more disheveled, but ultimately in one piece before he shut the door behind him, “Sorry I had to… skin something.” He quietly kicked himself for not coming up with something more clever or even remotely related to Michael or his status as Jersey devil. Wasted opportunity.

Ryan only laughed, shaking his head, “I hope you mounted that hide properly.” He tried not to think about the other implications he could have been stating with mounting and the like. He cleared his throat, feeling a little awkward, “So, wanna start the night off traditionally?”

Blinking up at him, his brows furrowed. The human was confused for only a moment before he caught on, a smirk playing at his lips before he laughed, lifting his head to call out, “LLLLLLLLLet’s Date!”

The two were in stitches all the way down the driveway to the car at the curb and halfway to the bistro, some of the awkward and tense air thankfully blown off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to hear what you think about this fic, or others. Ideas, questions, comments. Hit me up on [Tumblr!](http://pastelprinceling.tumblr.com/)


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